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l. B. WEBB.

FURRING STRIP.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 24. I9I4.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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JERVIS BENNETT WEBB, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO H. W. OHNS- MANVILLE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FURRNG-STRP.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug, il, tml@ To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that l, JERvIs BENNETT WEBB, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Mount Vernon, county of Westchester, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Furring-Strips, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally 'to coverings for walls and ceilings and has particular reference to means for uniting, stretching and securing any required number of widths of the covering fabric in position on a wall or ceiling in a manner to present a continuous surface, uniformly smooth and even throughout its entire area and broken only by seam-line eHects, such as would ordinarilybe produced by sewing, at the meeting edges of the several widths of fabric which go to make up the covering.

While the invention is adaptable for various purposes, it finds its principal use in acoustical constru'ction, where fabrics, applied as a covering for felt and like material, are required to be stretched smoothly over large surfaces or panels in which no molding is to appear.

The covering fabric, applied in accordance with the present invention, serves to entirely conceal the means employed to Secure it in position. This arrangement enables surfaces of unlimited area to be covered without in any way sacrificing the appearance of the covering by requiring the use of finishing strips at intermediate points throughout a panel and at the saine time gives rise to an important advantage in that it permits 'whatever reinforcement may be necessary to insure solid construction.

Another important feature of the present invention consists in supporting that portion of the fabric forming the covering proper, out of contact relation with both the surface covered and the means employed to unite and secure the several widths of fabric thereon. lin thus supporting the covering proper free and clear of the wall or ceiling, all surface inequalities are avoided, as well as discoloration from uneven fading ofthe shade or color of the fabric and the collection of dust in sections or portions thereof. l

The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates the best form of device .at present known to mefor carrying my invention into effect.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional view -illustrating the method of applying covering fabric to a wall oi; like surface, in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view showing the preferred form of two-partstrip herein employed for uniting and securing widths of covering fabric to a wall or like surface, the strip members being shown in separated relation, .ready to engage the overlapping edges of adjoining widths of the covering extending between them, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of a finished portion of the co-vering, sho-wing two widths of fabric united and secured in position by the twopart strip.

Referring now to the drawings, throughout the several views of which like reference characters indicate like parts, l have represented at l, for convenience of illustration, a conventional showing of a wall, ceiling or similar surface, the detail construction of which is unimportant herein as the present invention resides wholly in the wall covering and the manner of applying it to the surface thereof, which latter is indicated by the line 2.

Ordinarily, the covering, as applied to walls or ceilings, is in the form of panels, each of Vwhich usually requires a number of widths of fabric to cover it and as it is desirable for many reasons, and often necessary, in meeting the requirements of speciications, to avoid the use of molding or finishing strips, excepting around thev edge of panels, means must be provided at intermediate points for presentably uniting the several widths of covering and securing them to the wall ina manner to insure solid construction and avoid objectionable surface inequalities,

A device suitable for meeting the above requirements is shown in thedrawings as a two-part strip,I one member 3, of which is adapted to be secured to the wall by screws 4l, or other fastenings and is grooved throughout'its length, as at 5, to receive the other member 6, 'which is in the form of a tongue, shaped to enter and fit snugly within the groove. The member 3, is cut away or beveled in opposite directions, as indicated at 7 and 8, from the point 9, at one side of the groove therein, giving its surface an approximate V-shape in cross section and the tongue member 6, is suitably shaped, as at 10, to conform to the bevel, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In the use of the device, a number of the grooved strip members 3,the length of the panel, are arranged in parallel relation, on centers from two to eight feet, throughout the area to be covered and fastened to the Wall. A width of. fabric, such as is indicated for example, at 11, in Fig. 2, is then suitably secured along one edge to the right hand marginal strip (not shown) of the panel and after being well drawn over the first grooved strip member 3, has its oppo` site edge firmly tacked to the beveled sursmooth and even surface.

face 8, thereof. A second width of fabric, indicated at 12, in Fig. 2, is then arranged face down on the first width 11, and its edge secured in like manner to the beveled surface 8, of thestripl 3. Next the tongue member 6, is placed on the overlapping edges of the two Widths of covering fabric immediately over the groove (see Fig. 2) and on being pressed orlforced inward, carries both thicknesses of material with it into the groove, as shown in Fig. 3, where it is secured by screws, nails or the like 13. As a result of causing the overlapping edges of both widths of covering fabric to be carried into the groove by the tongue, they become securely united along the line of such overlapping edges, and at the same time, the width 11, is subjected to a. further stretching action which takes up any remaining fullness and draws the fabric sufficiently to free it of wrinkles and give it a perfectly The width 12, is then folded over, ydrawn to the second grooved strip and its free edge tacked fast, as before, to the beveled surface 8, thereof. On reaching this point in applying the covering, it Will be observed that the two-part strip employed to unite and secure the widths 11, and 12, to the wall along the line of their meeting edges, will be entirely concealed by the (vering, and as arranged, will lie Wholly below that portion of the fabric forming the covering proper, the inturned edges only of the fabric being engaged owing to the beveled form given the strip. Exteriorly, the effect at the meeting edges of the two widths of fabric is similar in `all respects to a finished seam produced by a -line of stitching. .Continuingl to apply the covering, the third width is placed and secured in precisely the same manner as the second above described and so on throughout the panel or other surface to be covered, as represented in Fig. 1. The addition of suitable marginal finishing strips or moldings completes the Work.

As the many important advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, it is not deemed necessary to further enlarge upon the brief statement of thel same contained in thel foregoing description.

It will be understood, that I do not limit myself to the exact form or details of the two-part strip herein shown and described, as various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Strips of different shape in cross section may be employed and assembled in other relations than that shown, provided they serve to unite and secure two widths of covering fabric in position and are concealed by such widths. Other means capable of performing the same or substantially the same function, may be substituted for the tongue and groove features of the strip. The strip members may be constructed of any desired material and given either solid, skeleton or other form. Any suitable means may be employed for securing thc strip members operatively assembled and various other modifications made, Whiich have not been illustrated, as all such changes I consider to be clearly within the present invention.

.Having therefore, described my invention, I claim 1. In coverings for walls and ceilings, means securing two widths of covering to the wall or ceiling along the line of their adjoining edges, the said means heilig concealed by the covering and having contact relation with the meeting edgesonly thereof in the rear of the outer surface of the covering.

2. In coverings for walls and ceilings, a plurality of widths of covering arranged with their adjoining edges overlapping, and means uniting and securing the several widths of covering to the wall or ceiling along the lines of their overlapping edges, the said means being concealed by the covering.

3. In coverings for Walls and ceilings, two widths of covering material arranged with their adjoining edges overlapping, andy a two-part fastening means adapted to unite and secure the widths of covering to the wall or ceiling along the line of the overlapping edges, one member of the fastening means having the said overlapping edges secured to it and the other member being concealed within a fold of the covering.

4f. In coverings for walls and ceilings, two widths of covering material arranged with their adjoining edges overlapping, and tongue and grooved members adapted to unite and secure the widths of covering to the Wall or ceiling along the line of their overlapping edges, the grooved member having the said overlapping edges fastened to it and both widths of material extending under the tongue member in the groove thereof.

5. In coverings for Walls and ceilings, two

incapaz tongue and grooved members adapted to unite and secure the widths of covering to the wall or ceiling along the line of their overlapping edges, the grooved member having the said overlapping edges fastened to it and both widths of material extending under the tongue member in` the groove thereof, the said members being concealed by the covering and shaped to clear that portion thereof lying in a plane parallel with the wall or ceiling.

6. ln coverings for walls and ceilings, two widths of covering material arranged with the meeting edges thereof turned inward, and means secured to the wall or ceiling engaging the 'said inturned edges, the said means being shaped to clear that portion of the material forming the covering proper.

7. Ay fastening means for securing sheets of flexible sound absorbing material to a wall or ceiling comprising in combination a strip adapted to be aiixed to the wall or ceiling and having a groove in its outer surface, and a second strip fitting intoV said groove, adapted to clamp the meeting edges of the sheets therein, and shaped so as to be flush with an outer surface of the fixed strip when in such clamping position, the outer faces of both said strips being so shaped that when assembled the cross sectional profile of the structure is tl-shaped.

8., A fastening means for securing sheets of flexible sound absorbing material to a wall or ceiling comprising in combination a strip adapted to be afhxed to the wall or ceiling and having a groove in its outer surface, and a second strip fitting into said groove, adapted to clamp the meeting edges of the sheets therein, and shaped so as to be v flush with an outer surface of the fixed stripwhen in such clamping position, the outer faces of both said lstrips being soshaped that when assembled the cross sectional profile of the structure is tf-shaped, the apex of the l! projecting outwardly and coinciding with one of the lines of meeting of the two strips outer surfaces.

9. A sound absorbing covering for walls and ceilings comprising in combination a series of strips adapted to be fastened to the wall or ceiling and project outwardly therefrom, a series of flexible sheets of sound absorbing material having their meeting edges folded together, and means for attaching said folded portions of the sheets to the exterior, projecting faces of the strips, said fastening means being concealed behind nonfolded portions of the sheets.

10. A soundabsorbing covering for walls and ceilings comprising in combination a series of strips adapted to be fastened to the wall or ceiling and project outwardly therefrom, a series of flexible' sheets of sound absorbing material having their meeting edges folded together, and means for attaching said folded portions of the sheets to the exterior, projecting faces of the strips,

saidV fastening means being concealed behind non-folded portions of the sheets, the ex terior faces of the strips being V-shaped in cross section, and the meeting edges of the non-folded portions of the sheets resting on the apices of the V-shaped strip faces.

1l. A fastening for securing sheets of Hexible material to a wall or ceiling comprising the combination of a strip adapted to be fastened to the wall or ceiling and having'a grooved outer face, and a second strip adapted to fit in and fill said groove, the cross sectional outlines of the two strips being such that when thus assembled their outer faces merge in a continuous outwardly .bulgingI prolile.

JERV-liS BENNETT WEBB.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. HoR'roN, CLIFFORD M. SWAN. 

